Friends...And then their friends, Episode 1
by TigressLily
Summary: little blurb about, well, everyone after hogwarts. r/r to tell me if a should continue


Friends...and then their friends  
Episode One  
The Roomate  
  
Some bkgr info:  
  
It's a year after Harry has graduated, the summer after Ginny has.Voldemort's in 'rehab' at St. Mungos, but many of the death eater's are still on the loose. Lucius Malfoy was not quite so lucky, and is currently residing in Akazban, with his house and property repossessed leaving poor Draco pretty much knutless. Hermione has been taking Dark Artology classes at Witchbury College in London, and was living with Cho, who has been in and out of several jobs, until they got kicked out of their muggle apartment. Harry and Seamus are both training to be Auror's, each while holding a separate job. They were sharing an apartment with Neville, who was also attending Witchbury, until he started working for the Ministry, leaving Harry and Seamus to look for another roomate. Ron has been living both with his parents and with Charlie in Romania. Fred and George are sharing an flat with Angelina in the same building as Harry.  
  
"You think we should put an ad in the daily prophet?" Harry sipped his coffee, scanning the classified section at the Weasly's table. "Ron, you sure you don't want to share the rent?"  
  
"Can't." Ron sighed. "I've been spending more and more time with Charlie. Hermione's ready to kill me."  
  
"What, she jealous?" Seamus was kicking a large punching bag sitting in the corner of the kitchen, which promptly punched him back as he let his guard down. Someone...probably Fred or George... decided that what the Weasly family really need was a punching bag that punched back.  
  
Ron smiled a bit, an odd,dreamy sort of smile as he conjured up an image of Hermione. "Have they had any luck finding a new apartment yet?"  
  
"You'd know better than we would, mate." Seamus kicked the punching bag on last time, then pulled himself up a chair. "Your girlfriend." The last year had turned him from a slightly scraggly boy into a gigantic yet somehow quite fatherly figure.  
  
"Yeah, but they're living with you," Ron pointed out, a bit of jealousy creeping into his voice.  
  
"If they could find a third person, they could moving into our building,and prefferably OUT of our flat." Harry frowned, remembering how Cho had spent yesterday morning rearraging his stuff. Hermione, on the other hand, was dumping her stuff wherever she pleased. "The landlord's muggle, but most of the tenants are wizards, so it doesn't make much of a difference."  
  
"They do?" A figure appeared in the stairway, dressed in an old fashioned long white nightgown. "What are you all doing up so early, anyhow?"  
  
Harry pointed to the light seeping though the window, smiling at Ginny. "It's a bit after dawn," he pointed out. Ginny sat daintily in his lap. "Are you going to move out of the burrow already?"  
  
Ginny nodded empathetically. "Mum's talking about renting rooms... I'm afraid she'll let in some serial mass murder."  
  
Ron chuckled slightly. "She always does have a slight soft spot where the wizard race in general is concerned."  
  
"Ron, I meant to ask you, but does your mum mind that we just 'drop by' nearly ever morning?" Seamus's breath smelled slightly of heavy black coffee.  
  
Ron thought for a minute. "I don'y think so," he told them. "I mean, she likes you all...  
  
"She doesn't," Ginny reassured them. "I rather think she enjoys it, actually, she loves playing hostess."  
  
"Okay." Harry had been scribbling something down on one of the napkins. "How does this sound? Need male roomate. Three way split of twenty five galleon rent. Roomates friendly, jovial...  
  
"We're looking for a roomate, not a date," Seamus cut in, laughing. "Look, why don't we just ask Lupin? There's always other Aurors-in-training looking for a flat."  
  
"I guess." Harry scowled as the clock told him it was time to go to work. "Yes, Clogsy, we're going." He grabbed his cloak, dumping a protesting Ginny off his lap. "Coming Seamus?"  
  
"Yep." Seamus made an attempt to straighten his hair beforea kindly old mirror, and Dissappearted, Harry following after.  
  
"They always make me feel like there's two parts of my day," Ginny commented, looking at the empty spot where Harry had been. "The morning part, when I wake up and they're just there, and then they leave an it's like the day's already over, but it's not." She stood up. "I have to go."  
  
Ron frowned. "For what?"  
  
Ginny smiled mysteriously. "You'll see." With a tiny puff, she dissappearated.  
  
  
Seamus and Harry appeared in a large, fancy room several levels beneath the earth's surface. The Auror Training Center and the Central Auror Headquaters were both located under one of the crummiest garages in England. It was because of its unwonted location that the Auror's were so hard to find.  
  
"Remus!" Harry and Seamus walked over to join their slowly aging teacher and his petite, blonde companion.  
  
"You two haven't RSVPed yet." Was the blonde's way of greating them. She fixed them with a well-meant glare.  
  
Remus laughed, and wrapped his arm possesively around the woman. "Honestly, Aretha, I don't know how you remember all these things."  
  
Aretha tapped his nose affectionately. "I'm a secratery. I've spent my life remembering these things." She turned back to the two young men. "So you are coming to our wedding?"  
  
Harry smiled. "Of course. Wouldn't miss it for anything." He shifted his gaze to Lupin. "Remus, I was wondering... do you know any Auror's looking for an flat? We're kinda looking for someone..."  
  
Lupin smiled, a secritive smile that meant he knew something Harry didn't. "I do, actually. Shall I give him your address so he can stop by later?"  
  
"Er...yes." Harry looked puzzled by Lupin's superior smile, getting a roomate was worth it, no matter who it was.  
  
"I think Master Chang is looking for you." Lupin's smile grew. "Something about an 'early morning session'."  
  
Seamus let out a long, throaty groan, before clapping Harry on the back. "C'mon, chap, Chang doesn't like to be kept waiting."  
  
Harry let out a long, frustrated sigh. "Let me at least stop and get some more coffee." He indicated the growing cafeteria line. "Need to be awake before I get beat up."  
  
Seamus laughed, amused at his shorter friend. Together they walked to wait in the line.  
  
"So." Seamus gave Harrya totally innocent smile.  
  
"So?" Harry lifted an eyebrow.  
  
"Do you still like Ginny?"   
  
Harry frowned. "Seamus, we broke up two years ago."  
  
"She still likes you," Seamus told him.  
  
"We're just friends. One coffee, black, please," Harry told a harried looking waiter.  
  
"Does she know that?"  
  
Harry frowned, accepting his coffee and taking a deep sip. "Seamus, when we went out...we thought there was more to eachother than there really was. We broke up -mutually- pretty quickly."  
  
Seamus smiled. "And that's why she followed us here today?" He lifted an eyebrow, and indicated a short, red haired figure looking about the room. Harry's jaw dropped.   
  
He walked over to where Ginny stood, coffee forgotten. "Ginny?"  
  
"Oh!" Ginny jumped rather guiltily. "I suppose I should have told you." She blushed a bit. "I talked to Lupin last week... I start my Auror training today."  
  
Harry looked like a fish on a hook, gaping as he was. "Um...oh, uhuh...does your family know about this?"  
  
Ginny smiled sheepishly, her blush deeping. "Dad does, Fred and George do, though they think I'm crazy. Mum and Ron don't know yet." She looked at Harry pleadingly.  
  
"Alright, I won't tell him," Hary assured her, ableit reluctantly. "But... wait... why didn't you mention anything?" Harry looked stunned, confused, and, quite frankly, astounded.  
  
"Cause I knew I'd get the look your giving me right now," Ginny told him lightly. She suddenly became serious. "Look, Harry, I know what I'm getting into. I've been wanting to do this for a long time."  
  
"Are you sure?" Harry looked like a defeated man.  
  
"Yes," Ginny said firmly. She's changed over the past year, Harry noted. She didn't used to be so...adamant.  
  
"Uh...Harry?" Harry jumped; he had forgotton Seamus was there... or his existence for that matter. "We need to go before Chang kills us both.  
  
"Bye," Ginny told them, smiling sweetly. Even she had heard of Master Chang's reputation. "I have to go sign in with all the new trainees."  
  
So they parted, Seamus propelling Harry along all the way.  
  
  
"How was work?" Hermione looked up from a large, tiny fonted book as Cho walked though the door into Harry and Seamus's shared apartment.  
  
"Usual." Cho sighed, dumping her stuff onto the couch. "My turn on the couch tonight, right?"  
  
"Oh,yeah." Hermione looked slightly preoccupied. "Sorry... I think I left my toothbrush buried somewhere in the cushions." She smiled apologetically.  
  
"It's okay." Cho smiled, realizingher friend was totally spaced out. She moved over into kitchen dash living room. "Frozen food or pasta?"  
  
"Pasta," Hermione told her, wrinkling her nose. She snapped out of it slightly. "You know, Cho, you don't have to cook for everybody."  
  
Cho smiled sweetly. "Well, I figure it's the least I can do for Harry and Seamus letting us stay here. And you'd never remember to eat if it were left to you; I need to keep my roomate alive so she can pay the rent."  
  
Hermione smiled at that, and stepped into the makeshift kitchen to help Cho. "So how is the Ministry?"  
  
"Okay," Cho said, reaching up to grab a box of pasta shells. "The Department of Magical Games and Sports hasn't been very busy recently... though not through Mr. Bagman's lack of trying." She frowned as she turned on the stove. "I saw Neville today."  
  
"He's working at the Department of Mysteries, isn't he?" Hermione asked. Cho nodded. "Who'd have thought Neville would turn out to be so good at the Dark Artology?"  
  
"Not me, I can tell you that," Cho said, grinning. "Let's see... this should be done in about fifteen minutes. What time do you have to leave for the late shift at the enforcement agency?"  
  
"Not til seven." Hermione glance at the clock, and sighed wearily. "More filing."  
  
"Are you sure you want to do all this?" Cho asked, looking worried. "I mean, when do you have time to sleep?"  
  
"During classes." Hermione gave a tight, half smile. The door opening cut her off from saying more.  
  
"Hey, ladies," Seamus's bulky form shifted through the door frame. "Someting smells good."  
  
"It's pasta," Cho informed him. "Where' s Harry?"  
  
"Quidditch practice," Seamus told her, smiling down at Cho from his towering seven feet. "You know, that thing he has, every Monday andThursday, with all the other English players..."  
  
Cho punched him lightly in the stomach. "Yes, dufus, I realized that." She tossed her hair a bit. "I just forgot."  
  
"Course, hon." Seamus grinned. "Oh, by the way, Ginny mentioned something about looking for a flat."  
  
"Really?" Hermione looked pleased. "I'll be right back." She dissappeared with a slight pop.  
  
"I hope this works." Cho looked slightly doubtful. "Not that cooking for three people is much better than cooking for four."  
  
"Well, both of our problems might soon be solved," Seamus told her, dropping his stuff near the door to his room. "Remus mentioned something about another Auror looking for a flat, and that he'd send him by later."  
  
Cho's reply was cut off by Ginny and Hermione's sudden appearance in the middle of the living room.  
  
"I'll never get used to Apparating," Ginny muttered, shakng out her rumpled robes.  
  
"Ginny said yes!" Hermione exclaimed. "We can talk to the landlord tommorrow."  
  
"I will miss the cooking-" Seamus began, but insistant knocking on the door stopped him. "Ye-es?" He called, in a singsong voice.  
  
The door opened to reveal a slender, pale young man, about eighteen or nineteen, who was studying a scrap of paper and comparing it to the address on the door. He looked up.  
  
"Seamus?" His jaw dropped to lengths before assumed impossible.  
  
"Oh boy," Seamus said, after staring for a few moments. "Harry's going to just love this."  
  
  
  
Harry was,as this was going on, walking up the steps to his flat, whistling to himself as he went. It felt good, coming home to his friends ever day, almost like they were family.  
  
But his good mood was soon ruined.  
  
The apartment had more people than usual in it when he walked in, though Seamus always seemed to take up more roomthan everyone else. Cho was doling out large portions of pasta, Seamus was 'helping' her.  
  
"Cho, do you know what your dad-" Harry stopped as his gaze continued around the room to where Hermione, Ginny, and another intruder were standing.  
  
"Malfoy?"   
  
"Chap, meet our new roomate." Seamus draped his arm around Harry. "He can move in immediatly, since Ginny's going to share the rent with the girls."  
  
"Malfoy?" Harry squeaked again.  
  
"I'm not thrilled either, Potter," Malfoy sneered. "But I need somewhere to live."  
  
"Oh that's right," Harry began in a slightly malicious voice. "Your dad's in Azkazban. Your house was repossessed. Now you know what it's like to be the rest of us."  
  
"Harry!" Ginny shrieked, outraged. Malfoy looked at her condesendingly.  
  
"Wouldn't you know it, Harry Potter isn't perfect," Malfoy drawled. He idly tapped his fingers on the table. The room remained stuboornly silent for several long minutes.  
  
"Look," Seamus said finally. "This is going to have to work, so why don't we just smile and get on with it."  
  
Malfoy sneered as Harry glared.  
  
"Like I need another big lug giving me advice...  
  
"THIS IS MALFOY! I WILL NOT SHARE A FLAT WITH HIM!"  
  
Harry had gone red, though Malfoy was pale as usual.  
  
"You know, I think it's time we went and talked to the landlord," Hermione intrejected softly.  
  
"Good idea," Cho said, hastily taking the pasta off the stove. "Why don't the three of you share the pasta."  
  
"We'll go out to dinner," Hermione told them, already walking through the door. "Coming, Ginny?"  
  
Ginny stood there, glaring, gaze shifting from Harry to Malfoy and back again. Her upper lip curled slightly. "Yeah." Still glaring at the two nemisis, she grabbed her cloak. "I'm leaving."  
  
The door slammed shut behind the three girls, leaving Malfoy, Harry, and Seamus to glare at eachother.  
  
"Pasta smells good," Seamus offered. Malfoy and Harry continued to glare at eachother. "Why don't I just go get some bowls." Still no response. "Okay then." He shuffled off.  
  
Malfoy glanced over at Seamus's receeding figure with a certain amout of disgust. "We don't have an option here, Potter." His blue eyes were cold.  
  
"We do too!" Harry exclaimed vehemently. "Or," he amended, "you may not, but I do."  
  
Malfoy sneered. "Yes, I can see how moving in with the Weasley's is so much more appealing."  
  
"What makes you think I wouldn't rather do that?" Harry's green eyes were as frosty as Malfoy's own.  
  
Malfoy's reply was cut off by loud, insistent knocking on the door that muffled laughter behind it.  
  
"Yes?" Harry called out, exasperated.   
  
The door opened to reveal three figures, two tall and one short.  
  
"Harry!" The tall ones exclaimed. They saw the other figure, and looked at eachother, bewildered. "Malfoy?"  
  
"Don't ask," Harry told them, sighing greatly. Malfoy sneered. "What are you two doing here?"  
  
"What about me?" Angelina asked from within Fred's arms.  
  
Harry smiled at her. "Your existence isn't questioned," he told her.  
  
Angelina smiled smugly. "But of course." Fred nuzzled her hair slightly, and Angelina tilted her head to give him a peck on the nose.  
  
"They've been like that all week long," George confided to Harry, as Angelina and Fred engrossed themselves in a passionate kiss under the flat's doorframe. "So whatis he doing here?" He asked, with a meaningful glare at Malfoy.  
  
Harry rubbed his temples tiredly. "He's our new roomate." Malfoy smiled sadistacally at this statement.  
  
"Looks like we get to be neighbors," Malfoy said, overly sweetly.  
  
"Yes, I'll remember to bring you a cup of sugar," George sad nastily. "Harry, what are you thinking?"  
  
Harry sighed. "I don't know," he admitted. "We need someone to share the rent."  
  
"Are you sure you know what you're getting into?" George asked doubtfully.  
  
"No," Harry said simply.  
  
"You have a room of your own, you know," a cross voice came from the other side of Fred and Angelina. They both blushed and moved aside so Ginny could step through.   
  
Seamus came back into the room, wearing an apron and a teddy bear oven mitt which looked ridiculous on his enormous hand. "Wot's going on?" His eyes darted aroung the room, and rested on Ginny. "Aren't you supposed to be goin' aut to dinner?"  
  
Ginny scowled. "I came back to make sure no one was going to die," she said crossly. "Though unless Fred or Angelina diesfrom lack of oxygen, I don't think anything's going to happen." Angelina blushed as Fred grinned.  
  
"Well, since everybody's here, why don't we have a nice big dinner!" Seamus proclaimed enthusiastically. The other occupants of the flat looked at eachother doubtfully. "Life's never going to be dull," Seamus muttered to himself. "Not with these characters hanging around."  
  
Well, that was kinda random, i know, but i'm bored, and i just watched friends, so you know. R/r please, so i know whether it's total crap or salvagable. 


End file.
